General Information

     Board of Education members serve for three-year terms. Regular elections for two or three seats are held each year on the second Tuesday in May, the same date residents vote on the coming year’s school budget. New board terms begin on July 1.

     Any U.S. citizen who is a resident of Fort Plain Central School District for 30 days prior to the vote may run for a seat on the board. For information on how to be placed on the ballot, contact the district clerk.

The Board of Education welcomes public comment at its meetings. Each speaker will be limited to five minutes and all comments must relate to the agenda topic they wish to discuss. To see the public comment policy, click here.

Board meeting documents

     To view the agenda of the Feb. 7, 2012 meeting, click here.

School Board Members:

        TODD McFEE,  board president, was raised in Fort Plain and is a 1992 graduate of Fort Plain High School. Since then, he has been in the monument industry and is now vice president of Humphrey Memorials Inc. of Herkimer. He and his wife Kristy have two daughters, Morgan and Grace. McFee was first elected to the school board in May, 2008. He serves on the Support Services Committee, School-Related Personnel Negotiations Committee and the Athletic Council.     

    MARY BETH HUDYNCIA,  board first vice president, earned an associate’s degree in science from Herkimer County Community College, and both a bachelor of science degree and master of science degree from the College of St Rose. She and her husband Richard have one daughter, Liza. A primary special education teacher for 18 years, Hudyncia has been on the board of education since 2002. While on the board, she has served on the Youth Recreation Committee, Support Services Committee, and Policy Committee. She also is a 5th grade catechist for St. James Catholic Church.

     DAVID FREDERICKS board 2nd vice president - elected 2009

     RONALD KARDASH - elected 2010

     JAMES A. PETTY Jr. 

     LOUIS "RUSTY" CAPECE

     JEFFREY L. JONES- elected 2011

Board of Education Goals for 2011-12 - Summary

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES - Includes charging the Curriculum Committee with the review and monitoring of the new reading and mathematics programs in grades K-4 in conjunction with student performance on the State Assessments in ELA for grades 3-11 and making recommendations for the future. Other priorities include:

• Changing the Curriculum Committee with the implementation of the State Education Department’s provisions of Education Law 3012-c regarding “Race To The Top”.

• To continue to develop our Pre-K program and middle school programs.
  To create strategies to incorporate the use of various technologies into existing curriculum.

• To continue to raise awareness and education regarding the effects of alcohol, drugs, and teenage pregnancy through programs such as Draw the Line, Respect the Line, Life Skills

• Training, and other scientifically based early adolescence programs in an effort to reduce the abuse which exists among our students.

• Increasing the awareness of the Board of Education’s Child and Nutrition Advisory Committee in an effort to increase staff and student activity, good eating habits and reduce obesity among our students.
  To create strategies to reduce the number of students who are dropping out of school.

RECOGNITION OF STAFF/STUDENT AND PARENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS - Facilitate the recognition of outstanding efforts by staff, community, students and parents in various programs and activities. 

FACILITIES PLANNING  - Continuation of process to investigate collaborative efforts through mutually beneficial sharing of services with neighboring districts. Monitor the new extended capital improvements project under Phase II construction and consultation with King & King Architects and Bovis Lend and Lease Construction Management Firm. Continue discussion with neighboring districts regarding merger possibilities especially with respect to the feasibility study completed last school year with St. Johnsville. Continue to monitor energy consumption with respect to capital improvements.

TRANSPORTATION - Monitor the success of the transportation contract with St. Johnsville Central School for transportation of students and inspection of their vehicles, in hopes to continue and perhaps increase the level of shared services in transportation between the two districts.  Continue upgrade of camera system on as many vehicles as possible each school year. Continue to monitor need for vehicle replacement vs. repair cost. Continue to maintain a fleet which is equal to or above 90% defect free based upon DOT inspection standards. Research alternative fuel vehicles (large buses).

POLICY REVIEW AND ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW POLICY MANUEL - Maintain compliance with all federal, state and education regulations. Review tuition practices of neighboring districts and report to the Board of Education in January.

FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE COMMUNICATION THROUGH BUDGETING PROCESS - Creation of the 2012-2013 school budget in coordination with administration. Seek to maximize the district’s potential to obtain grant funding and state aid as well as offer incentive to staff who write and secure grants. Other points include:

• To secure an Advisory Solutions Service to assess and make recommendations to improve maximizing our aidable potential and minimizing our expenses. Increase our communication with the staff and community members regarding budgetary concerns and our attempts to operate in the most cost efficient manner.

• Continue to annually receive audit of our Medicaid reimbursement program by the Department of Public Health in order to maintain our most efficient process and maximize our amount of reimbursements.

• Investigate the establishment of a reserved fund to maintain maintenance equipment.
  Require the Business Manager to provide a bi-monthly spending report to the Board of Education.

• Increase cooperative purchasing (of materials, fuels, and supplies) and seek multiple quotes from various vendors for all purchases greater than $5,000.00.
  Request proposals to secure a new Internal Auditing Firm.

COMPLETE TEXT OF BOARD OF EDUCATION GOALS (PDF)

Board Minutes

March 3, 2010 minutes
March 17, 2010 minutes
July 6, 2010 minutes
July 22, 2010 minutes
Aug. 4, 2010 minutes
Aug. 11, 2010 minutes
Aug. 24, 2010 minutes
Oct 19, 2010 minutes
Nov. 16, 2010 minutes
Dec.7, 2010 minutes
Jan. 4, 2011 minutes
Jan. 18, 2011 minutes
Feb. 8, 2011 minutes
March 1, 2011 minutes
March 15, 2011 minutes